"For today's panel on pre-spaceflight Terran literature we have Rosewood Tae, Thiry-Second Bloom; Alepha Thalma, Twelfth Bloom; Malianolia Phoros, Third Bloom; and this absolutely cutie, Mats Syringa, Twenty-Third Floret!"

 

"Awwwww!"

 

"Dr. Tae, you have the wall."

 

"Esteemed colleagues and cuties, Terra has a rich literary history that originates in an oral tradition that has sadly been lost to time and has proven impossible to reconstruct. This is not due to a lack of effort among either modern Compact scholars or Terra's own historical academics. The precious petal Joseph Campbell..."

 

"... and thus Hamlet, Macbeth, and King Lear all indicate a subconscious understanding in early Terrans' minds that they were in need of domestication and incapable of self-governance--"

 

"No!"

 

"Um, sorry, flower, what?"

 

"You're wrong! Stop being wrong!"

 

"Isn't he adorable?"

 

"I am extremely adorable, but that's not the point! You're completely anachronizing Terran literature!"

 

"But, petal, the clear thrust of all three plays is, oh are you leaving? I didn't mean to upset you I'm so sorry if I OW!

 

"He bit me! The dirt-blasted cutie bit me!"

 

"You deserved it! Liliac, tell her she deserved it!"

 

"Please excuse my floret, everyone, he's had a difficult day. Mats, come here and I'll give you something to calm you down."

 

"I'm perfectly calm!!!"

 

"Little one, no one believes that. Now, come here!"